let.the.conch.grow.up.

[PELLUCID]

Ya know what really frosts me? When I see locals cleaning undersized conch.

These are not poor folks. I've seen well-known business owners, with well-known boats, cleaning conch without a lip in public view. On more than one cay, on more than one occasion. These are cays that pride themselves on their eco-consciousness, churchiness, cleanliness, law-abidingness, and better-than-the-rest-of-the-Bahamasness. These guys are pillars of the local community.

I'm starting to think that the anti-local-government contingent in Nassau has a point. How can the locals govern themselves, if they are such outright hypocrites when it comes to the laws regarding the conch, a symbol of the Bahamas?

When I take my scout crews out conch hunting, I take them places where it's still possible to find plenty. We only take the ones with fully formed lips. They take pictures of all they have found. Then I make them put the ones back in excess of our limit, and we keep only what we eat. So there are more for the next crew.

Thanks. I feel much better now.

[BahamaAngie]

Venting always does that!!!

[Shelby]

Amen!!

Having said that, though, Pellucid, allow me to play devil’s advocate for a minute. I’ve heard Bahamians ask, "Why should I follow the rules when every week I see tourists coming here and taking whatever they please? Why should I leave that undersized (fill in the blank) so some tourist can come take it tomorrow?” I’m not saying it’s right, nor is it effective in the long run, but I understand their frustration.

A cousin of mine in GTC, who's very conservation-conscious, spotted some tourists in shallow water near Munjack tossing tiny conchs into their inflatable dinghy. When he spoke to them about it, they told him, plain and simple, to f*** off.

As he put it, "Some tourists don’t care. They’ll come and take every fish and conch, then go somewhere else next year. But this is my home and my livelihood. I can’t just pick up and leave, so I have to take care of what’s here.” He knows lots of foreigners who are as respectful and knowledgable of the local laws as he is, but he sees plenty who couldn’t care less.

I don’t think this is an issue that can be divided down the lines of locals/foreigners. Jerks come from all countries. The bottom line is that people need to stop pointing fingers and start observing the law if any of us want conchs (or grouper or crawfish) 20 years from now!

Amanda

P.S. On another note, for the folks in Nassau to criticize the governing ability of "locals" is nothing short of audacious. Last time I checked, Nassau people were locals, too, and the record shows how THEY have run this country into the ground in the past 30-40 years. The truth is, the Abaco Cays are among the best governed places in the Bahamas -- and that's done mostly IN SPITE of Nassau. People who live in huge glass houses (paid for primarily through bribes, theft and drug money) ought not throw stones. :-)

[BahamaAngie]

I understand completely. Our tourists who they use to call Bennies (use to have signs Bennies Go Home and guess what? They did!) But the rule was NOT to take a crab under I believe it was 3 inches or female so of course they did. When one of my sons was a little boy, he was a great crabber and someone came on our dock and was catching female crabs, he had tears running down his cheeks! A lot of people just don't get it!

[dogfish]

If the locals don't care than the tourist won't either. If a tourist does not respect your warnings about taking undersized conch than call law enforcement. They will come....they get a free boat out of the deal.

These sort of battles play out on a daily basis here in Florida. Many of our "new" residents have no respect for fisheries laws as the countries they came from didn't have any. When someone speaks up at a pier or bridge about them taking a fish the that is not legal the typical response is F off but the typical counter response is a call to FWC officers.

If the public does not care to report a crime than that law can not be enforced because law enforcement can not be everywhere.

-Doug

[Agurs Wish]

One time we had found an "iffy" conch and we weren't sure if it was big enough to keep so we took it in to a local restaurant and they said it wasn't regulation size. It wasn't dead so we said, "Fine, we'll put it back in the water." And the chef said, "What you talking about? Give me that conch and I'll make you a fine conch salad." We said, "No, thanks and put it back in it's home."

[Shelby]

Really??!! Call law enforcement because people are taking undersized conchs?! That may work in Florida, but in the Bahamas, you can barely get law enforcement to come out if you've been raped, robbed or are lying dead in the road. And even then, they'll only come once they've finished their lunch. :-)

It’s a lovely and noble notion that “the authorities" will make it all okay, and maybe it works in the States (though, from what I’ve seen, I have serious doubts), but it’s different in the Bahamas. Ten bucks says those same Bahamian authorities have undersized conchs or caught-out-of-season crawfish in their own freezers.

Conservation is a relatively new concept in the Bahamas, and attitudes are changing, but you don’t turn a ship around on a dime. Pellucid, if you really want to effect change, why not donate to one of the local environmental organizations, or lobby the local schools to educate their students about the importance of conservation. Maybe your scout group could give a presentation to local children about conservation efforts back home…? The reality is that your young scouts probably know more about conservation than the average Bahamian. Why not share your knowledge, instead of pointing fingers?

While it’s certainly been my experience that Bahamians and foreigners are equally guilty of breaking fisheries laws, that isn’t really the point. Finger-pointing and arguing about who’s “more wrong” doesn’t really get us any closer to the ultimate goal of ensuring adequate supplies of seafood for future generations of both Bahamians AND tourists.

[theKurp]

Really??!! Call law enforcement because people are taking undersized conchs?! That may work in Florida, but in the Bahamas, you can barely get law enforcement to come out if you've been raped, robbed or are lying dead in the road. And even then, they'll only come once they've finished their lunch. :-)

Take pictures. Almost every cell phone these days has a built-in camera, no?

As evidenced by the arrest of the tourists who ate endangered iguanas in the Bahamas and posted images of their exploits on Facebook, pictures of the deeds may be sufficient cause to seek prosecution.

[islandfever]

I saw someone cleaning a juvenille conch about 30 years ago and was amazed at how little meat content there was in one. I was never even tempted.